Pentax SMC Pentax 67 45mm f/4

Wide-angle prime in the Pentax 67 lineup, sitting between the 35mm f/4.5 Fish-Eye and the 55mm f/4 rectilinear wide. In 35mm-equivalent terms, 45mm on 6×7 corresponds to roughly 22mm full-frame — a substantive wide that retains rectilinear geometry, distinct from the dramatic curvature of the fisheye.

Originally released as the Super-Takumar 6×7 45mm f/4 in the early 1970s, updated through SMC Takumar and SMC Pentax 67 coating generations. The 45mm focal length addresses the gap between the 55mm "near-normal-wide" and the fisheye — for landscape, environmental portraiture in tight spaces, and architectural interiors where the 55mm is too long but a fisheye's distortion is unwanted.

A "poor man's XPan" with the 35mm film adapter

A specific use case worth calling out: with the Pentax 67 35mm film adapter — which runs 35mm film through the 6×7 gate sideways — the 45mm focal length produces a panoramic frame whose aspect ratio and horizontal angle-of-view closely match the Hasselblad XPan 45mm "normal" panoramic lens. Same focal length, same approximate panoramic aspect ratio, same field of view.

For photographers who want the XPan look without paying XPan prices, the Pentax 67 + 35mm adapter + 45mm f/4 is the practical alternative — effectively a very large and heavy "poor man's XPan". The trade-off cuts both ways: dramatically more bulk and weight than the dedicated panoramic body (the XPan was designed for handheld panoramic shooting, the Pentax 67 was not), but the 67 system's full lens lineup is available for any non-panoramic 6×7 shooting in the same kit. For photographers already invested in a Pentax 67 body, the 45mm + 35mm-adapter combination is a far cheaper entry point to panoramic 35mm than acquiring an XPan body and lens separately.

Pentax never produced an official 35mm panoramic adapter for the 67 system — the panoramic-35mm use case has always been served by third-party adapters. These are inexpensive on the secondary market, with units most commonly branded ETone routinely listed on eBay at low prices. The third-party builds vary in mechanical fit and finish but are functionally equivalent for the purpose of running 35mm film through the 6×7 gate; quality is generally adequate for the panoramic-experiment use case where the alternative is paying XPan-body prices.

Optical and mounting notes

Optically a retrofocus design (typical for SLR wides where the mirror box demands a flange-focal-distance longer than the actual focal length). f/4 maximum aperture is reasonable for the focal length on medium format — wider apertures at this angle of coverage on 6×7 would require larger and more complex glass, with the 45mm f/4 striking a workable balance between speed, size, and price.

Mounts on the inner bayonet (Pentax 67 lenses ≤300mm use inner). 67mm filter thread, matching most other Pentax 67 lenses for filter-set sharing. Hand-holdable in good light at typical wide-angle shutter speeds; mirror lock-up provides a useful tripod-shot improvement at slow speeds.